Talks Underway To Build Tripura-chittagong Gas Pipeline

India is in talks with Bangladesh for laying a natural gas pipeline from Tripura to Chittagong to deal with LPG shortage in the North-eastern region.

‘We are laying a pipeline for transportation of diesel from Siliguri in West Bengal to Parvatipur in Bangladesh. There is pipeline for carrying diesel from Numaligarh oil refinery in Assam to Siliguri. In exchange, we have given the proposal for a gas pipeline from Chittagong to Tripura. We are pursuing the matter diplomatically and I would also visit Bangladesh soon,” petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan told reporters in Tripura on Monday.

The pipeline if approved by the Bangladesh government would be laid by the side of the rail lines which pass near the Indo-Bangla international border, he said.

In Tripura 9.22 lakh households are having LPG connections and efforts are on to bring 100 per cent coverage in the days to come.

LPG coverage in Tripura is less than 50 per cent and the Centre wants to increase it. Pradhan on Monday launched Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana that provides free LPG connections to women from BPL households.